


Polis

by lesbians_and_puns



Series: My Body Bleeds - The 100 oneshots [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, angsty fluff, there is a cute dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 06:03:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5956417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbians_and_puns/pseuds/lesbians_and_puns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexa takes Clarke around Polis. Fluff. Slightly angsty fluff, but fluff nonetheless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Polis

Clarke opened her eyes and stared in some confusion above her. She blinked slowly a few times and turned her head to the side, where the furs were mussed but the space where Lexa’s body had been just a few hours ago was now empty. Clarke swallowed past the sudden clenching in her heart and sat up, threading a hand through her hair as she looked around the room, then slid off the bed, padding toward the door in bare feet. She put her hand on the door, then paused, suddenly lost with the realization that she had no idea where Lexa’s chambers were. She shrugged to herself and opened the door to Lexa’s surprised face.

“Clarke,” Lexa said, recovering quickly. “I… We needed breakfast.”

Clarke looked down at the tray Lexa was carrying in her hands. “Do you always bring girls breakfast in bed?”

Lexa gave her a slightly hurt look. “Clarke, I do not…”

 _Shit_ , Clarke thought. “I’m sorry,” she heard herself say. “I know, I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry. Thank you.”

Lexa shifted, tray still in hand. “We do not have to… I will eat in my room, and I will send someone up with food for you,” she finished decisively, turning to go, but she was stopped by Clarke’s hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t leave.” The _not again_ hung, unspoken but heavy, in the air, and Lexa slowly turned back around.

“You wish me to stay?”

Clarke swallowed, nodded. “I do.”

“Then I will stay.” Lexa gave her a small smile and gestured with her head toward Clarke’s chambers. “The door?”

Clarke returned her smile, hoping it reached her eyes, and pushed the door open.

They ate in relative silence. Lexa seemed nervous, and Clarke was just tired… Tired of waking up and wanting Lexa there, tired of looking at Lexa and seeing her walk away and leave her on the Mountain, tired of everything that had happened to them since they got dropped from the Ark.

When they’d finished, Lexa silently put the dishes back on the try and walked out of the room, setting it down outside the door before she straightened back up and turned, silhouetted in the doorway, back toward Clarke. “Clarke, I…” she started hesitantly, but Clarke shook her head and slid off the bed.

“It’s my turn,” Clarke said, reaching for Lexa’s hand and tugging her inside the room, letting the door close behind them. She took a deep breath before she started. “I don’t think I can ever forgive you for leaving me on the Mountain,” she said, and Lexa winced, bit her lip. She was going to start apologizing again, so Clarke squeezed her hand, talked over her. “But I think I can understand it. You were, you were right. I would have done the same. But I… I _loved_ you, Lexa, and you left me, and it’s going to take time before I can let that happen again.”

Lexa nodded, holding her breath, waiting for Clarke to continue, but Clarke shook her head. She had nothing left to say. Lexa exhaled slowly and lifted up their hands, staring at their interlocked fingers. “I loved you, too.”

“You still left me.” It was a statement, not an accusation, and Lexa did not defend herself, only nodded slowly. Clarke looked at her. “Why did you ask Skaikru to join the clans?”

Lexa startled. “It was a strategic decision,” she started, but Clarke interrupted.

“No, it wasn’t,” she said. “We’re barely a threat –”

“You are much more capable than that,” Lexa argued. “They do not call you _Wanheda_ for nothing.”

It was Clarke’s turn to flinch, but she pushed past it. “We wouldn’t have stood a chance against the Ice Nation.”

“The Ice Nation are ruthless,” Lexa spat, and Clarke remembered their conversation, long ago, about why, exactly, love was weakness.

“Costia,” she said, and Lexa paused, nodded. “You thought they’d kill me.”

“I did not _think_ they would have killed you,” Lexa corrected. “They would have killed you. They would still kill you. If not more, now.”

“Because of you.”

“Love remains weakness, Clarke,” Lexa said. “And my love for you is a target on your back.”

Clarke exhaled slowly. “Lexa, why did you ask us to join the clans?”

Lexa looked at her. “Clarke, you know why.”

“I want to be sure.”

“You said you would have made the same choice. Why?”

“My people come before the leader of the enemy, even if I love that person,” Clarke answered, knowing where this was going but needing to hear Lexa say it.

Lexa nodded. “And now the person I love is one of my people, and I will never have to make that choice again.”

“You endangered your people by allowing this,” Clarke said. “You endangered yourself. The Ice Nation will kill you.”

“They will try,” Lexa allowed. “I do not intend to let them.”

“You’d better not,” Clarke said, tightening her grip on Lexa’s hand. “You can’t die before you’ve earned my trust back. I won’t let you.”

Lexa gave Clarke another one of her rare, shy smiles. “I think that arrangement would suit me.” She leaned forward slowly, eyes glancing rapidly back and forth between Clarke’s eyes and her lips, gauging Clarke’s reaction. She hesitated centimeters before they would touch, and Clarke leaned forward to close the gap. Clarke’s stomach did flips as Lexa kissed her, because it was nothing like the roughness or desperation of last night, it was like they were back in her tent and Lexa’s hand had crept up to the back of her neck and was holding her there, cradling her, like she was made of glass and at any minute she might break. It occurred to her dimly that maybe the reason Lexa was kissing her like this was because she had broken her. Lexa’s hand came to rest hesitantly on her waist as she pulled away briefly, resting her forehead against Clarke’s as they both caught their breath.

“You know,” Clarke said, putting her hands on Lexa’s waist and looking her in the eyes. “You don’t need to treat me like I’m made of glass.”

Confusion flashed in Lexa’s eyes. “You are special, Clarke,” she said, eyes flitting between Clarke’s. “You deserve to be treated like it.” Clarke’s breath caught and she pulled away, turning away from Lexa slightly.

“I’m not sure what any of us deserve anymore.”

There was a moment of silence, then Lexa dropped her hand, leaning back against the door. Clarke glanced at her, and Lexa gave her a sad smile.

“What can I do to earn your trust again?”

“Swearing fealty was a good first start, probably,” Clarke said, and Lexa flushed.

“Clarke…”

“No, I know,” Clarke said, sighing. “I just… I don’t really know. It’s not that I actively don’t trust you, you know? I mean, I know what you did yesterday. All of it. Having Skaikru join you, swearing fealty to me, all of it… I know I should trust you. I _do_ trust you. I’m just still scared, I guess. I still look at you and see the girl who walked away from me.”

Lexa was looking at her, pain written across her face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, and Clarke shook her head.

“Stop apologizing,” she said, suddenly tired again. “I can’t give you your absolution.”

Lexa bit her lip, still staring at Clarke. “Let me show you around Polis,” she said, and Clarke stared at her.

“What?”

“Let me show you around Polis,” Lexa repeated, stepping forward and grabbing her hand again. “Let me show you the people, the shops. I can show you schools, the children… I want you to see me. All of me. Everything you know about the Grounders is still about war, but that is not all of who we are.”

Clarke’s heart twisted as she remembered Bellamy saying much the same to her, what felt like so long ago. “I don’t know,” she said, shifting slightly. “Don’t you have meetings? Titus won’t like it if I steal you for the whole day.”

Lexa pointedly ignored her. “I know a shop that sells charcoal pencils…” she said, and Clarke felt a smile tugging up at the corners of her mouth. She closed her eyes and spoke against her better judgment.

“Fine,” she said, and tried to keep from rolling her eyes when Lexa squeezed her hand in excitement. She glanced over at the other girl and was startled, again, by how beautiful she was when she actually smiled.

“You should change,” Lexa said, gesturing down at Clarke’s relative state of undress. “There is clothing in the dresser. I will be back soon.” She ducked out of the room quickly, leaving Clarke staring at her wake. She shook her head slowly and walked over to the closet.

Lexa was true to her word, back just as Clarke finished pulling on her jacket.

“Where did you even go?” Clarke asked, and Lexa looked up at her.

“I was informing Titus I would be out all day,” she said, and Clarke fought a laugh.

“How did that go over?”

Lexa made a face, and Clarke was reminded yet again that she was almost as young as Clarke herself. Lexa glanced over at Clarke, a smile creeping onto her lips. “It _is_ a matter of policy to extend courtesies to guests,” she said, and Clarke did laugh that time.

“You know he sees right through you, right?” Clarke asked, and Lexa shrugged.

“I gave up on hiding things from Titus very soon after I became Commander,” she said, and Clarke nodded.

“That was probably wise.”

“It was,” Lexa sighed. “But come. We have much to see before it becomes dark.”

Just before they exited the tower, Lexa ducked into a room off the entrance and came back carrying two hooded cloaks. Clarke gave her a confused look. “It’s not that cold out,” she said, and Lexa suddenly looked nervous again.

“They are not for warmth,” she said hesitantly, looking at Clarke like she was waiting for something. Clarke just shook her head, still lost, and Lexa sighed slightly. “They are for concealment.”

It did dawn on Clarke, finally. “You would not be walking around as the Commander,” she said, and Lexa gave a slight nod.

“There are things I can do as a nameless body that I cannot do as Commander,” she said, glancing at Clarke quickly before shifting and fussing with the cloak. “And I did not know if you wished to see me as the Commander with her people, or to see my people as they are.”

“Wait, what do you mean you there are things you can’t…” Clarke realized what Lexa was saying, and trailed off. “We can’t be seen together, can we.”

“We can,” Lexa said hastily. “It is simply unwise, perhaps, to lend any more strength to rumors of Heda’s involvement with Wanheda unless you wish the target on your back to grow.”

Clarke bit her lip, then grabbed a cloak from Lexa and shrugged it on. Lexa smiled to herself before she put hers on, lifting up the hood. She waited for Clarke to put on her hood before she pushed open the door, and just as she did, Clarke slipped her hand into Lexa’s. She caught only the briefest glimpse of Lexa’s smile and the blush flooding her cheeks before they were blinded by the sunlight.

 

* * *

 

“Lexa,” Clarke said, tugging on her hand. “Let’s take off the cloaks.”

Lexa looked at her, eyes sparkling against the sky. “Why?” she asked, holding up their clasped hands. “I would have to let go… And we are nearly there.”

Clarke rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t stop a faint smile from spreading across her face as she brought Lexa’s hand to her lips and pressed a quick kiss to it. “Because, I want to see the Commander as her people see her.”

Lexa’s eyes shone at the contact, but they became unreadable at Clarke’s request. She stared at her for a moment, then evidently decided on her answer, because she pulled them into an alley, kissed Clarke quickly, and flipped the hood down. She quirked an eyebrow toward Clarke, who was standing still, looking like she’d been hit over the head. “Will you be joining me?”

Flustered, Clarke’s hands flew up to her hood and pushed it back. She glared at Lexa, who was smirking back at her, and gestured for her to go ahead with an annoyance that was only half felt. Lexa’s smirk didn’t fade until she stepped out of the alley, and then it was wiped off her face, replaced with the hard eyes, raised eyebrows, ramrod-straight posture, and defiant set of her chin that marked her as _Heda_. She turned back toward Clarke and inclined her head toward the tower. “Come along, Clarke.” There was an amused smile playing around the corners of her lips, and Clarke had no idea what to do with it, so she settled for sticking out her tongue. Lexa nearly rolled her eyes and started walking forward, not really waiting for Clarke to follow, but she gave Clarke an affectionate smile when Clarke’s feet started working again and caught up to her.

“That was just _rude_ ,” Clarke chastised, and Lexa bit back a smile.

“I cannot imagine what was rude about that, Clarke,” she said, staring straight ahead, but Clarke could see she was trying not to laugh. Clarke gave a huff of exasperation but followed her, until they came across a shop they had passed earlier and Lexa ducked inside the dimly lit interior. Clarke followed, and was immediately overwhelmed by the heavenly smells coming from inside the shop, which was lined with tables. She took another deep breath in and prayed her stomach wouldn’t rumble.

An older woman came out of a curtain that divided the front of the shop from the back. “ _Heda_ ,” she said with a smile, spreading her arms wide. She said more in Trigedasleng as Lexa stepped forward to return the hug, then looked at Clarke. Her eyes narrowed somewhat in recognition, but the smile did not leave her face.

“ _Eimi_ ,” Lexa said, gesturing toward Clarke. “ _Klark kom Skaikru_.”

Amy nodded, looking Clarke up and down. She said something in Trigedasleng and pulled Clarke into an unexpected hug. Clarke startled, but returned it, and stared at Lexa in confusion while the two swapped rapid Trigedasleng. They were both gesturing, and at one point Lexa brought coins out of her pocket, but they were nearly slapped away by Amy. Eventually they came to an apparent agreement, as Lexa led them toward a table.

“What just happened? What did she say?” Clarke asked, as soon as they sat down, and Lexa smiled.

“She said that a friend of mine is a friend of hers,” Lexa replied. “I hope you like stew.”

Clarke narrowed her eyes at Lexa. “Are you taking advantage of the fact that I let you walk around as _Heda_ to get us free food?”

Lexa shrugged unrepentantly. “There are few benefits to being _Heda_ , Clarke,” she said. “And I did offer to pay. Anyway, Amy has known me since I was in training.”

Clarke rolled her eyes, and was about to retort when she was interrupted by Amy placing two steaming bowls in front of them. Clarke almost drooled at the smell, and Lexa smirked at her. “Will you stop complaining now?”

Clarke nearly moaned at the first spoonful. She closed her eyes and swallowed blissfully before she answered. “I’ll never stop complaining.”

Lexa muttered something under her breath, and Clarke glared at her, kicking her under the table. Lexa’s mouth dropped open as Clarke leaned across the table.

“ _What_ did you just say?”

“N- Nothing,” Lexa stammered, and Clarke sniffed.

“Good,” she said, and returned to her stew. Lexa continued to gape at her. “You know, you really need someone to take you down to size,” Clarke continued.

“Excuse you?” Lexa said, and Clarke laughed.

“Close your mouth, you look like a goldfish,” Clarke said, and Lexa only looked more confused. Clarke shook her head. “Never mind, it’s not important. I meant that you need someone who won’t put up with your, you know, bullshit.”

“Are you offering to be that person, Clarke?” Lexa asked, and Clarke blushed slightly.

“Well, I mean,” she said, suddenly confused as to how she wound up being the embarrassed one. “I just -”

Lexa laughed, and Clarke felt her stomach do a flip at how radiant she looked, laughing in the low candlelight. She swallowed quickly and ducked her head, avoiding staring, focusing on her soup. Lexa just shook her head and joined her.

When they finished, they ducked out of the shop together, as Clarke tripped over an apology in Trigedasleng and Lexa tried not to laugh. “Shut up,” Clarke said as they started to walk down the path. “It’s not my fault half the words I know have to do with war.”

Lexa chuckled at that. “I will have to find you a tutor,” she said. Clarke opened her mouth to reply, but just as she did, something shot out in front of her and she nearly tripped, grabbing onto Lexa’s arm to stay upright.

“What on _earth_ -”

“ _Maks! Maks!_ ” a high pitched voice called from their right, and Lexa and Clarke turned to see a young boy running toward them, a length of rope dangling from his hand. The fluffy hazard that had nearly killed Clarke let out an answering yip, and the boy came to a sudden halt in front of them, ruffling his dog’s fur. “ _Maks, beja, hod op_ …” he said, laughing, and slipped the rope under a different rope that was circling the dog’s neck, tying it quickly and firmly. He looked up, and nearly blanched as he recognized the two women. He scrambled up quickly, urging his dog into a sit as he looked at them. “ _Heda, ai_ …” he started, but Lexa shook her head, bending down so she was looking him in the eye.

“You do not need to apologize. And use English, if you can.”

The boy nodded, and started speaking again. “I’m sorry, _Heda_ ,” he said again. “My dog, he ran away…”

Lexa laughed. “I saw that,” she said. She reached a hand out toward the dog and stopped halfway, looking at the boy. “May I?”

The boy nodded eagerly, clearly awestruck that the Commander would like to pet _his_ dog, and Clarke heard him whisper toward Max rapidly in Trigedasleng as Lexa reached out and started petting him. The dog’s tail was thumping loudly on the path, and Lexa looked as happy as Clarke had ever seen her. The boy was staring up at Clarke - gaping, really - and she bent down and started talking to him. “What’s your name?”

“ _Luk_ ,” the boy answered. He stared at her for another moment before he blurted out, “You are _Wanheda_.”

Clarke flinched slightly and readjusted so she was sitting cross-legged on the ground, putting herself below his level. “You can just call me Clarke,” she said, and the boy shook his head, still staring.

“You are _Wanheda_ ,” he insisted. “You saved us.”

“I… What?” Clarke asked, glancing over toward Lexa, who was grimacing as the dog slobbered all over her face. She fought back a laugh and turned back toward Luke. “I saved you?”

The boy nodded eagerly. “From the Mountain,” he said, and Clarke bit back a sour retort.

“Your _Heda_ saved you from the Mountain,” she said. “I had nothing to do with that.” She tried not to sound bitter. The boy couldn’t be older than eight, anyway…

“Do not underestimate yourself, Clarke,” Lexa interjected, wiping her face on her sleeve. “I may have saved my people from the Mountain, but you saved us all.”

Clarke swallowed and looked down, tracing a loose path on the ground with her finger. “It came at quite a price.”

“ _Wanheda_ ,” the boy interrupted. “Come with me.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her upward and down the path. Clarke gave a surprised laugh.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I have something to show you!” the boy answered cheerfully. “ _Maks!_ ” he called, and the dog obediently left Lexa on the ground and trotted after him. Clarke glanced backward, mouthing _help_ over her shoulder at Lexa, who laughed and shrugged, picking herself up off the ground and catching up to them.

“Where is he taking me?” Clarke whispered, and Lexa chuckled.

“I honestly do not know, Clarke,” she said, “but I suspect we will find out soon enough.”

They followed the boy, whose grubby hand was still grasping Clarke’s, down toward what looked what must have been a kind of park, though it was grown over tremendously. Lexa let out a breath that hissed between her teeth, and she pulled back, hesitating. “Clarke…”

Clarke sent her a questioning look, but the boy’s hand was still pulling insistently, so she followed him toward a pool of water. At the base of it, there was a small wooden box that was overflowing with pieces of paper, leather, cloth… The boy gestured toward them eagerly, so Clarke bent down to inspect them closer. They were written in Trigedasleng - ink on the cloth and paper, the letters burned into the leather - and she could only read a few words and phrases, but nearly all of them started with _Klark_. She looked up at Lexa, who looked troubled, her lip caught between her teeth. “What is this?” she whispered, and Lexa let out a deep breath and bent down next to her.

“They are messages of thanks,” she replied quietly, gently picking up one of the leather pieces. “From those whose family were Reapers, or who had children in the Mountain, or were in the Mountain themselves… I did not take you here because I did not think you needed a reminder. I am sorry, Clarke. I did not realize this is where he was taking us until it was too late.”

Clarke’s breath caught in her throat. She looked down at the box, the pieces blurring together in the tears that were swimming in her eyes. “Read some to me.”

Lexa gave her a careful look, but sat next to her. She looked up at Luke, who was still standing in front of them, looking concerned. She held up a piece to him. “Can you read this and say it in English?”

“Yes, _Heda_ ,” he said hesitantly. He took the piece from her and positioned himself in front of Clarke, taking in a deep breath and puffing out his chest as he prepared to read. Clarke ducked her head to keep the laugh from spilling out, because she knew it would bring tears with it. She got her emotions somewhat under control and looked up, and Luke started to read.

“ _Klark_ ,” Luke started. “We thank you for…” he trailed off, and showed the piece to Lexa, who bit back a smile.

“Delivering,” she supplied, and he nodded, returning to his task.

“We thank you for del-… del-… delvaring us from the Mountain. My sister was in there. You are in our…” he trailed off again, and Lexa leaned forward to read the word he’d missed.

“Prayers,” she said, and he nodded eagerly.

“I knew that one,” he said anxiously, and Lexa laughed and nodded.

“Of course you did,” she said, and shared a small smile with Clarke. “Is that it?”

Luke nodded. “It was short,” he said, showing it to Lexa as proof, and she nodded.

“You did a good job,” she said, and Luke shone with pride. “Who is your teacher?”

“ _Maikel kom Trikru_ ,” he said, and Lexa nodded.

“He taught you well.”

Luke beamed and shifted, clearly uncomfortable with this much praise from the Heda. He looked over at his dog and made a quick excuse.

“ _Maks_ needs dinner,” he said seriously, and Lexa nodded, adopting the same serious tone.

“Do you know how to get home?”

Luke gave Lexa an offended look. “Yes,” he answered, only barely keeping insolence out of his voice. “I am _seven_. And a _half_.”

Lexa bit back a smile. “You should go home. It is nearly dark.”

Luke nodded, then fled back toward the center of the city. Lexa chuckled to herself.

“There is a certain freedom with that age,” she said drily. "You remember."

Clarke hesitated, then shook her head slowly. “We were never free on the Ark.”

Lexa paused, then stood up, offering Clarke a hand. “We should go, Clarke,” she said softly. “We should have guards if we want to go out at night. There are too many people, even in Polis, who are unhappy with us now. As it is, we should wear the hoods of our cloaks.” Clarke stared at the ground for a while, then nodded, taking Lexa’s hand and pulling herself up. She flipped her hood over her head and waited for Lexa to do the same, then slipped her hand into Lexa’s, taking comfort in the way the roughness of her palm was still gentle against her skin. They walked back to the tower in silence, Lexa’s thumb rubbing smooth circles onto her hand, and Clarke took deep breaths and tried to remind herself how it felt to have her only worry be whether or not she would be floated.

**Author's Note:**

> come chat with me at lesbiansandpuns.tumblr.com!


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